Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-02-09
RoUNp.HousE AT srAUNroN.
A COMMITTEE WAIT UPON GENERAL wICKHANl
IN RELATION THERETO.

A committee of Staunton gentlemen repre-
senting the authorities and people of that city
and of which the Hon. Mr.. Edward Echols was
chairman, yesterday waited on General viii
liams @. Wick ham, second vice-president and
manager of the Newport News and Mississippi
Valley railroad, at the office of the company In
this city. They came to see the General with
reference to the rsilroad round house and
shops in Staunton. To secure the location OF
the company the land upon which they were
afterwards erected. They gave the title in fee
simple. OF late there has been very little bust
ness done on the property. The locomotive,
are changed and fixed up. not at Staunton, but
at Clifton Forge, hence the profits accruine
therefrom go not to the former, but to TIT
latter community; all of which facts the COM
mittee forcibly presented.
General Wickham said that the company
| accepted the land and built these works al
Staunton in good faith, but that it would now
be impossible for them to stop their locomo-
tives at Stanton. TO make the speed neces
sary and move the desired number of cars,
locomotives of great power are required to
cross the mountains. These are put on at
Charlottesville. These pull across the Blue
tain and down to Clifton Forge. Next day
they pull another train back to Charlottesville.
The distance between the two places is just
about right. and all the conditions OF success
full misunderstanding pretty well met by
the existing arrangement, and would not be
by q return to Staunton.
General Wickham, however, spoke very af
fectonately of the Staunton people. and de
clared his determination to do what is possible
for them. He will set to work to get some
manufacturing company to occupy the unused
property. and in sOOie changes soon to be
made in his railroads operations he sees a way
of doing Staunton good turn.
The committee SPOKE to General Wfckham
also with regard to running a foot-bridge over
the track at the Staunton depot. and he asked
them to submit plans of what they proposed.
If he understands their proposition there will
be no difficulty on this score,-OfSpdtch OF the
9TH instant.
The committee referred to is the delegation
appointed under the resolution offered by Mr..
Oberdorfer. and adopted at the meeting of the
City Council on the 18th ofJanuary. Since the
return of this delegation, a SPECTATOR repre-
sentative called on Mr.. Echols to learn If any
thing additional TO the above published &C.
count of the interview could be furnished for
the benefit o + the public interest felt here in
the success of the object contemplated by the
action of the City Council He said there was
that Gen. Wickham remarked that about the
18th of this month he would issue an order
making Staunton point for the change of the
crews of the freight trains. From 81 to so men,
conductors, engineers, fremen, breaksmen,
&C., are employed in this service, of which 80
or 40 have families, and those and most of the
others will consequently reside here. 1t is
suppos ed this change on the road is what is re-
ferred to by General Wickham in the para.
graph next to the last of the report of the inter-
view copied above. The gentlemen composing
the delegation were Mayor Yost, Major Nc
Mahon. Ed. Echols, W. 81. Fl. Lynn, A. c,
Braxton and E. 1. Jones.
General Wickham's response to the commit
tee, is just what was expected of him, for he is
everywhere known to be generous and just in
all his intercourse. With the exercise of his
kindly offices in planting valuable indus
trial interest in the vacant buildings located
on the land coded by the city TO the railroad
company, but not practicable for any purposes
of1ts own now, he will be materially aiding
the city and its interests for it is the increase
of manufacturing establishments now more
than any other new enterprises that it needs
TO keep up other features with its growing
commercial importance.